Cave types. Fairytale world of caves. Planet Earth. Curious facts about caves

Caves are the last unexplored frontier of our planet, mysterious world, which only the most desperate daredevils dare to look into. Labyrinths stretch for miles under our feet underground caves and tunnels. Today the caves remain the most little explored places on the planet, and yet people rarely manage to descend into the dark dungeons first. The strangest and least known animals on Earth already live here...

Postojna Yama, Slovenia
Caves can be divided according to their origin into five groups. These are tectonic caves, erosion caves, ice caves, volcanic caves, and, finally, the most large group, karst caves. Caves, in the entrance part, with suitable morphology (horizontal spacious entrance) and location (close to water) were used by ancient people as comfortable dwellings.

Most of these caves. It is karst caves that have the greatest length and depth. Caves are formed due to the dissolution of rocks by water. Therefore, karst caves are found only where soluble rocks occur: limestone, marble, dolomite, chalk, as well as gypsum and salt.
Limestone, and even more so marble, dissolves very poorly with pure distilled water. The solubility increases several times if dissolved water is present in the water. carbon dioxide(and it is always dissolved in water, in nature), however, limestone still dissolves slightly, compared to, say, gypsum or, moreover, salt. But it turns out that this has a positive effect on the formation of extended caves, since gypsum and salt caves not only quickly form, but also quickly collapse.


Leak formations in Katerloch Cave, Austria.

Such caves can arise in any rocks as a result of the formation of tectonic faults. As a rule, such caves are found in the sides of river valleys deeply cut into the plateau, when huge rock masses break off from the sides, forming sagging cracks (sherlops). Seizure cracks usually wedge together with depth. Most often they are covered with loose deposits from the surface of the massif, but sometimes they form rather deep vertical caves, up to 100 m deep. Sherlops are widespread in Eastern Siberia. They are relatively poorly studied, and probably occur quite often.

Caves formed in insoluble rocks due to mechanical erosion, that is, worked out by water containing grains of solid material. Often such caves are formed on the seashore under the action of the surf, but they are small. However, the formation of caves, worked out along the primary tectonic cracks by streams going underground, is also possible. Quite large (hundreds of meters long) erosional caves are known, formed in sandstones and even granites.

Lava cave, Hawaii.

These caves are formed during volcanic eruptions. The lava flow, cooling down, is covered with a solid crust, forming a lava tube, inside of which molten rock is still flowing. After the eruption has already, in fact, ended, the lava flows out of the tube from the lower end, and a cavity remains inside the tube. It is clear that lava caves lie on the very surface, and often the roof collapses. However, as it turned out, lava caves can reach very large sizes, up to 65.6 km long and 1100 m deep (Kazumura Cave, Hawaiian Islands).

A typical gallery in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.


It's funny, but mammoths have never been found in the cave. Just English word mammoth also means "huge". Back in the 19th century, this cave was discovered in Kentucky under the Flint Ridge. At first, saltpeter was mined in it, but one day the deposits were depleted and a certain entrepreneur bought that place. With the help of servants, he tried to explore the depths of the dungeon, but failed. By the beginning of the 20th century, as many as 5 tiers and more than 200 grottoes, galleries and passages were discovered in the cave. Their total length was as much as 500 kilometers! End of this underground country so still not found. But the Mammoth Cave cannot boast of special beauties or miracles. Its arches consist of red limestone, which practically does not form streaks, so there are fewer figured stalactites than in other caves, much more modest in size. Although the visual range is poor, the places are called loudly - one of the corridors is called Broadway, and the underground river is called Styx. However, there is something that guides are happy to demonstrate to guests - stone sculpture, reminiscent of the profile of the mother of President George Washington. So that tourists do not leave their autographs on the walls, they are given a special Hall of Records. Respectable guests can leave not a wall inscription, but a respectable business card. From largest city Kentucky, Louisville can be reached by car in 4-5 hours, and the closest city in the cave is the city of Brownsville

241,595 m - length -192.6 m - depth

232,000m-length -15.0 m-depth All speleologists in the world know the Optimistic Cave, and it is not surprising - in terms of the length of the labyrinth, this is the largest cave on the continent and the second largest in the world after the American system Flint-Rich and Mammoth.


218 450m-length -193.9m-depth (Wind Cave), cave in the north in the north-east. foothills rocky mountains(Black Hills Mountains), South. Dakota (USA). Entrance at the bottom of Wind Cave Canyon. Known since 1881. The natural entrance has a diameter of 0.35 m; a shaft with an elevator was built for sightseers. A voluminous labyrinth with a dense network of galleries. The length is over 120 km, the elevation difference is 172 m. The cave is worked out in limestone thermal waters rich in minerals. Equipped for excursions.

209 600m-length -488.9m-depth Lechuguilla (eng. Lechuguilla) - a cave in the national park carlsbad caves. One of the longest caves in the world (210 km) and the deepest cave in the continental United States (−489 m). The cave is unique in its origin and variety of crystalline mineral deposits. The name of the cave corresponds to the name of the canyon in which the entrance is located, and that, in turn, is named after the Latin name of the common local species agaves (Agave lechuguilla).

183 600 m-length -108.5 m-depth (Fisher Ridge), labyrinth-type karst cave in the ridge. Fisher in zap. foothills of the Appalachians, Kentucky (USA). Has three entrances. The length is more than 113 km, the height difference is 60 m. Numerous int. wells connect a multi-level complex of galleries. The river is drained. Green River. Known since 1981. The edge passages are located only 250 m to the east of the Mammoth Cave. Visited by natives 800-1200 years ago.
Ox Bel Ha,Mexico
182 150 m-length -33.5 m-depth Bull Bel Ha (Mayan meaning "three ways of water"; officially System Ox Bel Ha) is a cave system in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is the longest explored underwater cave in the world.

175 664 m-length -355.1 m-depth

- a cave in the Western Caucasus, which is the second deepest cave in the world (-1753 mi, considered the most difficult in the territory of the former USSR and the most difficult siphon-free cave in the world. It is located in one of the spurs of the Bzybsky ridge in the thickness of reef Jurassic limestones.

Three large underground waterfalls: Irkutsk (the height of the two knees of the waterfall is 45 m), Record (25 m) and Olympic (32 m). A giant blocky collapse in the bottom part is the blockage of the Metrostroy, 127 m high. Most of The route to the bottom part runs along an underground river (the length is more than 7 km, the water flow in low water is from 50 l/s in the upper reaches, up to 200 l/s in the bottom part). The Diamond Gallery is a side passage of the cave at a depth of 750 m, covered with large gypsum crystals for 100 m. Flower way - a passage in a blocky blockage, covered with white crystals

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New Athos cave is a formation in karst rocks in Abkhazia, it is included in the list giant caves in the world.
The ancient abyss on the side of the mountain is called the abyss by many, it was studied in 1961. mini-expedition (4 people). Soon the New Athos cave gained fame, and tourists began to head towards it.

The New Athos cave consists of 9 large cavities, where tourists come. They are attracted by interesting formations inside, similar to skulls, figures, etc. The New Athos cave is interesting, as we have already said, for its size, as well as the legends associated with it, for example, that angels once lived in it.

Big Oreshnaya Cave is largest cave Russia by the length of passages and the volume of underground spaces. This is the largest conglomerate cave on the planet. The conglomerates consist of boulders and pebbles of variously colored limestones and dolomites cemented with reddish-brown calcareous sandstone. They are of variable strength and porosity, subject to dissolution and collapse, to the point of becoming a sticky, reddish brown, sandy clay.

- a cave in the Urupsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The most deep cave in the territory Russian Federation. Depth - about 900 m. Length - about 3000 m. (The cave has not been fully explored, so these figures can be increased).
The entrance to the cave is located in the upper reaches of the river. Atsgara, which is the first right tributary of the river. Urup is a hole in the ledge of a ruined limestone rock ledge. The absolute height mark of the entrance is 2825 m above sea level.
Discovered and first examined in August 1994 by a group of speleologists from Rostov-on-Don, Cherkessk and Donetsk

Genetically, the cave can be attributed to the class of corrosion-erosion caves. Morphologically, it is a series of wells (the most significant is the Grand Prix, 65 m deep), alternating with small sub-horizontal passages. Starting from a depth of -630 m (from the Magnitny Hall), the path through the cave runs through the blockage with a vertical amplitude of about 200 m. ).

Ordinskaya cave - located on the eastern outskirts of the village of Orda Perm Territory, on the left bank of the river. Kungur. It is embedded in gypsum and anhydrite of Permian age. Consists of "dry" and underwater parts. The length of the dry part is 300 meters, underwater - 4600 meters. To date Orda cave is the longest flooded cave in Russia. In addition, part of the cave is the longest siphon in the CIS - 935 meters.

The Orda Cave is located in the bowels of Kazakovskaya Gora, a hill with a plateau-like flat top, skirted by the Kungur River. The height of the hill does not exceed 50 m. On its surface there are large sinkholes, in one of which, located on the southern steep slope, is the entrance to the cave

Dolganskaya Yama and Dolphin caves are wintering grounds for bats. Here is the most numerous [source not specified 83 days] colony of wintering bats in Siberia (more than 2000 individuals).
Dolganskaya karst system- the only known complex of voids in Russia in permafrost with a year-round positive temperature. It is a testing ground for geological, biological, paleontological, hydrogeological, glaciological, microclimatic and geomorphological observations. Studied since late 1970s

Rock paintings in Lascaux cave, France.
Primitive people used caves all over the world as a dwelling. Even more often, animals settled in the caves. Many animals died in the cave-traps, starting from steep wells. The extremely slow evolution of caves, their constant climate, and protection from the outside world have preserved a huge number of archaeological finds to us. These are pollen of fossil plants, bones of long-extinct animals (cave bear, cave hyena, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros), cave drawings ancient people (caves Kapova in the Southern Urals, Divya in the Northern Urals, Tuzuksu in the Kuznetsk Alatau), tools of their labor (villages Strashnaya, Okladnikova, Kaminnaya on Altai-human remains of different cultures, including Neanderthals, up to 50-200 thousand years old ( cave Teshik-Tash in Uzbekistan, Denisova cave in Altai, Cro-Magnon in France and many others).
Water, as a rule, is found in many caves, and karst caves owe their origin to it. In the caves you can find drops, streams and rivers, lakes and waterfalls. Siphons in caves often complicate movement, require special equipment and special training. Often there are underwater caves. Air in the caves
In most caves, the air is breathable due to natural air circulation, although there are caves in which you can only be in gas masks. For example, guano deposits can spoil the air. cave deposits
There are mechanical (clay, sand, pebbles, boulders) and chemogenic deposits (stalactites, stalagmites, etc.).
Some caves are equipped for visiting tour groups(the so-called showcavesFor this, in the part of the cave, the most spacious and rich sinter formations, walkways, ladders, bridges are laid, electric lighting is created, in some cases, if the entrance part of the cave is a technically difficult area, tunnels are made. On the territory of the former USSR, the most famous caves are Marble in the Crimea, Kungurskaya in the Urals, Novoafonskaya in Abkhazia.

All the beauty opens up if you go down a little below the recession of the water, where a narrow valley of decent depth has formed, from which you can see the holes leading to the Sablinsky caves. Surprising is the fact that all Sablinsky caves are of anthropogenic origin, looking at them, it is impossible to assume this. However, this is true - the Sablinsky caves were created in the process of making glass, they were dug out, because the glass industry needed a lot of sand. This explains the similarity internal device, which, by the way, does not detract from their merits at all.

This cave complex also includes Pigeon Cave and Yale Coba. Once, in 1825, this cave was visited by the famous Russian playwright A.S. Griboyedov, one of the lower corridors of the cave is named after him.

One of the most beautiful and famous caves in the CIS are

Kungur caves, so named because of the city of Kungur, located in Perm region. The Kungur caves are the real dwelling of the Snow Queen - covered with ice and hoarfrost, they leave an indelible impression of themselves.


Kungur caves attract many tourists, who later tell about huge icicles, about feeling like in a real fairy tale, about how, opening their mouths with admiration, they wandered along the passages.


Kungur cave is one of huge caves on Earth and the only cave in the Russian Federation specially designed for tourists. This incredible natural object, surrounded by many legends, is located in the Urals, between Perm and Yekaterinburg. Researchers claim that the Kungur cave is almost 10-12 thousand years old.

Kapova cave is located in old rock in Bashkortostan, where ancient drawings dating back to the Paleolithic have been preserved. The Kapova Cave was first discovered in the middle of the 18th century, but it was examined in detail already in the middle of the 20th century, when huge galleries with cave paintings were found.


The age of this cave with an underground river is more than 2 million years. It was discovered and explored by the leader of the Maori tribe, Tane Tinorau, and the English surveyor Fred Mays in 1887.





Salt caves have been known for a long time, but it was in the UK that the first artificial salt cave.
The gentle sounds of the waves on the shore, the reassuring rustle of sand under your feet, the invigorating freshness of the salty air. Closing your eyes, you can imagine yourself on the beach. Open them and look around - there is a salt cave around you, and you are not sitting on sand, but on salt, salt on the walls, and in the air, and everywhere.

Dolgorukov massif


The caves are a system with a length of 2.5 km and are not deep, only 25 meters. Opened by the founder of speleology Edouard Alfred Martel.


In 1935, classical music concerts began to be organized here, after lighting was installed and an electric imitation of dawn over water was created.

Along with the usual route to Cango, you can also take the so-called "Adventure Tour" through hard-to-reach passages.

There are over 150 limestone caves in Bermuda, but the most famous are the Crystal Caves. They got their name from the crystal clean water flowing under their vaults. The water is so clear that you can even see the bottom of the caves, the depth of which sometimes reaches 17 meters.
It is believed that the caves were formed during ice ages when the sea level was 100-130 meters lower. Rain water seeped through the soil, and the resulting underground stream with high acidity dissolved the limestone. As a result of this process, voids appeared in the caves. The dripping water formed stalactites and stalagmites.
When the water level in the seas rose, these voids were filled sea ​​water, and the formation of caves stopped.

This cave system is located in the Blue Mountains. The natives call them "Binumea" - which means "Dark Places". They believed in the healing properties of the water of the underground river and brought sick people here.


The widest and highest cave "Lukas" is the most visited. The entrance fee to each cave is taken separately, and than harder route- the more expensive.

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A real underworld - this is how you can describe the cave of the Yellow Dragon, which is located in famous nature reserve Zhangjiajie. Lighting is installed everywhere here, which gives this place a simply unreal look. One gets the impression that you are visiting some fairy-tale character.
The cave itself is very large, with several levels, each with its own unique illumination. At the bottom there is a river that you can go down by boat. We are sure you will remember this trip for the rest of your life!

The cave is located in a remote area of ​​the Selma plateau, about 1600 m above sea level, in Oman. It was discovered in 1983 by Don Davidson, a geologist who studied water resources. Davidson died ten years later, leaving Oman for good to go hiking in the Andes. He rented a car and left a note saying where he was going. Nobody ever saw him again.


By the name of the limestone plateau "Kras" (Karst) in Slovenia are called all the karst caves in the world. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Škocjan Caves are the most enchanting sight on this plateau.


Majestic karst grottoes, 30 waterfalls and a 2.5 km deep underground gorge are part of this cave system. Its total length is 6 km.

Here you can see: fantastic calcite columns and stalagmites in the Cave of the Winds, and underground river 108 km long in the "Pure Water Cave".


IN " Deer Cave", thanks to a hole in the ceiling, a piece of land appeared covered with lush vegetation, illuminated by the sun. This place is called -" Garden of Eden ".

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"Giant ice world"- this is the name of this cave system, which is located 40 km from Salzburg, translated from German. They were first explored in 1879 by scientist Anton Posselt. Since then, the Eisriesenwelt caves have become one of the most popular tourist spots, which is visited annually by about 200 thousand people.


Pride national park USA in New Mexico - Carlsbad Caves have long been known in the world of travelers. First of all, they are appreciated for their stunning stalactite sculptures of the most extraordinary form and unique grottoes! What is only the grotto of the Green Lake, in which the water is of a malachite color.

But people who are terribly afraid of bats are unlikely to like these caves, because there are about seventeen species of them here!

A large number of secrets and mysteries are always associated with caves, because this is a whole world of magic, silence and silence. Even in ancient times, caves were used to shelter humans and animals, and some were even considered the abode of the gods. In nature, there are no two identical caves, because some have lakes, others have halls with grottoes, wells, glaciers and waterfalls. For many thousands of years, rainwater has destroyed the stone, forming stalactites and stalagmites of bizarre shape. In some caves, calcite is formed in the form of pearls, flowers, thin twigs, crumbling at the slightest touch. We present to your attention a rating of the most amazing and beautiful caves in the world.

1Giant Crystal Cave, Mexico

A cave of giant crystals in Mexico was discovered by ordinary miners who were working in the south of the country. At the depth of a three-hundred-meter mine, they discovered a cave, literally strewn with huge crystals from the inside. The crystals in the caves are translucent, and their color varies from bright white to golden. The crystals are rectangular or cylindrical in shape, and their length reaches several meters. The base of the cave is stone, which indicates its ancient origin. The huge crystals in it were formed by nature over several million years. Apparently, the room of the Crystal Cave was previously filled with rock, which was gradually washed away by underground waters, after which such unusual formations remained.

2. Na Pali Coast Cave in Kauai, Hawaii

The Hawaiian island of Kauai was formed over 5 million years ago as a result of volcanic activity in the area. One of the most spectacular sights of the island is the coast of Na Pali. Here, the rocks practically hang over the sea, and exotic plants grow on their surface and various birds nest. In addition to picturesque volcanic mountains and evergreen beaches, tourists are attracted here by mysterious caves. For many centuries, sea waves methodically carved volcanic rocks, thus forming the caves of Hawaii. In the caves you can enjoy virgin nature and sea views.

3. Melissani Cave, Greece

The Melissani cave, located on the Greek island of Kefalonia, was forgotten for several centuries and was remembered only in 1951, when the Greek Giannis Petrohelios again found and opened it. Indeed, even in Greek mythology, this cave was mentioned as the dwelling of the nymphs. The reason for such a violent fantasy of the ancient Greeks is quite understandable - the cave with its turquoise lake surrounded by dense forest looks truly fabulous. Melissani Cave has a stone base, on which there are shallow azure waters, at the top there is a huge stone dome with a huge hole through which sunlight enters deep into the cave, creating amazing reflections on its walls. The entrance to the Melissani cave is also very picturesque - it is overgrown with greenery, and the "door" is decorated with natural brownish stone "plaster".

4. Skocjan Caves, Slovenia

One of the most famous karst cave systems on our planet is the Škocjan Caves. On the beautiful Kras Plateau, located in the southwest of Slovenia, these wonderful caves are officially recognized as a nature reserve and a World Heritage Site. Shkocyansky caves owe their appearance to the local river with the name "River" flowing through it, which for centuries "cut down" the caves in karst deposits. However, as a result of water erosion, several arches of the cave collapsed, forming karst failures "Mala Dolina" and "Velika Dolina", separated by a natural bridge. On the territory of Velika Dolina, the River goes underground, appearing on the surface after 34 kilometers already in Italy. In addition, there are many dangerous funnels, dips and small waterfalls on the territory of the Shkocyan Caves. The largest European grotto, the Martel Hall, is also located in the caves.

5. Marble Caves in Chile Chico, Chile

High in the Andes is one of the deepest lakes in the world - Lago General Carrera (Chilean name) or Lago Buenos Aires (Argentinean name), since the lake is located on the border of Chile and Argentina. Not far from the Chilean city of Chile Chico are the famous Marble Caves. Although the walls of the caves are not made of marble at all, but of limestone, but against the background of turquoise water, its vaults, which have white and blue tones of color, look very impressive. Thanks to this natural beauty, thousands of tourists come to see the Marble Caves every year. Small pleasure boats bring tourists here, allowing you to see all the splendor of the shades of the cave, as well as look into the natural windows, as if melted in the walls of the labyrinth of the Marble Caves - boats can no longer drive there. In addition to the amazing Marble Caves, fishing lovers also come to the lake, because its waters are rich in trout and salmon, as well as some other types of fish.

6. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, USA

Mammoth Cave is located in the US state of Kentucky. This unique karst cave has a unique microclimate. The cave was discovered about 4,000 years ago; the remains of ancient torches are still found in it. The cave was used by local tribes for various purposes. American scientists have discovered the mummy of a man who died in this cave more than 2,000 years ago. After numerous studies, scientists came to the conclusion that a person was engaged in gypsum mining here. A rare species of shrimp, crayfish and blind fish have been found in an underground river. In addition, flocks of bats live in the cave. Since the end of the 19th century, Mammoth Cave has become a tourist attraction, for which electric lighting was installed throughout its entire length. However, if you wish, you can walk through the cave as in ancient times - with a paraffin lamp.

7. Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Cenotes are peculiar formations in caves that appear in the rocks under the influence of water. South of the Mexican resort of Cancun, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful cenotes. According to some reports, in ancient times Yucatan was an underwater reef. After the water left, huge caves remained. The caves and grottoes of the Yucatan are completely underground. There are no land rivers on the peninsula - they all flow underground. Once upon a time, the Mayan peoples considered cenotes sacred and drank water from them during religious ceremonies. Tourists from all over the world come to the Yucatan to swim, dive and admire the underground scenery. And ancient stalactites and stalagmites make the underwater world truly fabulous. Through the cracks of the caves, sunlight penetrates into the cenotes, giving them a special beauty.

8. Blue Caves, Greece, Zakynthos Island

On Zakynthos, one of the largest Greek islands, there are amazing Blue Caves. Among tourists, the island has gained popularity due to its scenic area, including beaches and villages. In the village of Volimes is located the Blue Cave, which can only be reached through the sea, however, as well as to most of the island. If you visit the Blue Cave at sunset or sunrise, you can enjoy the blue color of the sky and ocean reflected in it. For many years of water erosion, the rocks have taken on the appearance of amazing natural arches. Due to the unusual light effects of the Blue Caves, this place is one of the most visited in Greece. In addition to the beautiful caves, Zakynthos has a famous beach, considered one of the best in the world.

9. Fingal's Singing Cave, Scotland

For many centuries on the island of Staffa (the island belongs to the group of the Inner Hebrides) in Scotland, the rains and the sea have formed one of the largest caves in the world - Fingal's Singing Cave. The cave owes its name to the famous Scottish poet James MacPherson. According to legend, the giant Fingal, in order to connect Scotland and Ireland, built a dam, along which a huge giant passed into his dwelling, while Fingal lay down to rest before the fight with him. However, his wife was resourceful and said that it was the baby, the son of Fingal, who was sleeping. The huge giant imagined the size of the father of this "baby" and fled in fear, destroying the dam behind him. According to legend, Staff Island is part of this dam. The second reason for this name of the cave is the Geltian meaning of the phrase "Cave of Melodies". The name was given to the cave due to the fact that during the surf, the cave hall repeatedly repeats the sounds of the sea, as if singing!

10 Skaftafell Ice Cave, Iceland

On the edge of glaciers, amazingly beautiful structures are often formed - ice caves. In Iceland, on the lagoon of the Svinafellsjokull glacier, there is the famous Skaftafell Cave. Over the past centuries, the glacier has compressed so much that it has almost no air bubbles, due to which almost all sunlight is absorbed, except for the blue fraction visible inside the cave with the naked eye. Although such blue ice is possible only when the upper layer of the glacier is washed away, for example, in winter. However, such light is found in floating icebergs and other ice caves. Skaftafell cave has a seven meter entrance on the shore. At the end of the cave narrows to one meter. However, it is not safe to visit ice caves, as they are constantly transforming and can collapse at any moment. Only in winter visiting such caves is relatively safe. As ice caves move with the glacier, crackles can often be heard inside them.

This report is available in high definition.

People very rarely explore the vast and unexplored, but not National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez, who has been exploring and photographing the largest and deepest caves in the world throughout his career.

Cave exploration by Stephen Alvarez.

A cave is a cavity in the ground that communicates with the surface by one or more inlets. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

The largest caves are complex systems of passages and halls, often with a total length of up to several tens of kilometers. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Caves according to their origin can be divided into 5 groups: tectonic, erosional, ice, volcanic and, finally, the largest group - karst. Let's talk about them in more detail. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

(Photo by Steven Alvarez):

As already mentioned, the vast majority of caves - karst. It is these caves that have the greatest length and depth. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Karst caves are formed due to the dissolution of rocks by water, so they are found only where there are soluble rocks: limestone, marble, chalk, gypsum or salt. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Tectonic caves can occur in any rocks as a result of the formation of tectonic faults. They are found in the sides of river valleys deeply cut into the plateau, when huge massifs of rock break off from the sides, forming cracks. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

These fissures sometimes form quite deep vertical caverns up to 100 meters deep. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

3rd type of caves - erosion. They are formed in the rocks due to mechanical, that is, "cut" by water containing grains of solid material. Often such caves are formed on the seashore under the action of the surf, but they are small. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Spectacular ice caves are formed in the body of glaciers by melt water. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Melt water forms passages, sometimes passable for humans. The length of such caves can be several hundred meters, the depth - up to 100 meters or more. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Also, ice caves can be formed in the glacier at the exit point of underground thermal springs located under the glacier. Hot water can create voluminous galleries in the ice. Thermal ice caves are found in Iceland, Greenland and reach quite large sizes. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

The last type is volcanic caves. They occur during volcanic eruptions. The lava flow, cooling down, is covered with a hard crust, forming a lava tube. After the end of the eruption, lava flows out of the tube from the lower end, leaving a cavity inside the tube. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Lava caves can be very large, up to 65.6 km long and 1,100 m deep. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

In addition to lava tubes, there are vertical volcanic caves - the vents of volcanoes. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

The living world of the caves is not very rich, however, some animals are found here. Firstly, these are bats that use caves as shelter or for wintering. Moreover, bats often fly into remote and hard-to-reach places in caves, navigating well in narrow labyrinth passages. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

In addition to bats, insects, spiders, shrimps, salamanders and fish live in some caves. All cave species adapt to complete darkness, and many of them lose their organs of vision. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

As is known from history, primitive people used caves all over the world as a dwelling. Even more often, animals settled in the caves. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

Usually water is found in many caves, and karst caves owe their origin to it. Often there are beautiful ones. We have already talked about them in detail. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

(Photo by Steven Alvarez):

In most caves, the air is breathable, although there are caves where you can only be in gas masks. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

In addition to caves, which by definition have access to the surface, there are closed underground cavities in the earth's crust. The deepest underground cavity with a length of 2,950 meters was discovered by drilling on the coast of Cuba. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

In, except for the Earth, caves were found on and. (Photo by Steven Alvarez):

(Photo by Steven Alvarez):

(Photo by Steven Alvarez):

(Photo by Steven Alvarez):

The largest caves are complex systems of passages and halls, often with a total length of up to several tens of kilometers. Caves are an object of study for speleology. Speleotourists make a significant contribution to the study of caves.

Caves according to their origin can be divided into five groups: tectonic, erosional, ice, volcanic and, finally, the largest group - karst. Caves in the entrance part, with suitable morphology (horizontal spacious entrance) and location (close to water), were used by ancient people as comfortable dwellings.

Caves by origin

Karst caves

Most of these caves. It is karst caves that have the greatest length and depth. Karst caves are formed due to the dissolution of rocks with water, so they are found only where soluble rocks occur: limestone, marble, dolomite, chalk, as well as gypsum and salt. Limestone, and even more so marble, dissolves very poorly with pure distilled water. Solubility increases several times if dissolved carbon dioxide is present in water (and it is always present in natural water), but limestone still dissolves poorly compared to, say, gypsum or, moreover, salt. But it turns out that this has a positive effect on the formation of extended caves, since gypsum and salt caves not only quickly form, but also quickly collapse.

A huge role in the formation of caves is played by tectonic cracks and faults. According to the maps of the explored caves, one can very often see that the passages are confined to tectonic disturbances that can be traced on the surface. Also, for the formation of a cave, a sufficient amount of water precipitation is necessary, a successful form of relief: precipitation from a large area should fall into the cave, the entrance to the cave should be located noticeably higher than the place where groundwater is discharged, etc.

Many karst caves are relic systems: the water flow that formed the cave left it due to a change in the relief either to deeper levels (due to a decrease in the local basis of erosion - the bottom of neighboring river valleys), or stopped entering the cave due to a change in the surface catchment, after which the cave goes through various phases of aging. Very often, the studied caves are small fragments of an ancient cave system, opened up by the destruction of the enclosing mountain ranges.

The evolution of karst processes and their chemistry are such that often water, having dissolved mineral substances of rocks (carbonates, sulfates), after some time deposits them on the vaults and walls of caves in the form of massive crusts up to a meter or more thick (cave marble onyx) or special for each cave of ensembles of mineral aggregates of caves, forming stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, draperies and other specific karst mineral forms - sinter formations.

Recently, more and more caves have been opened in rocks traditionally considered non-karst. For example, in the sandstones and quartzites of the mesas of the tepui mountains of South America, the caves of Abismo Guy Collet with a depth of −671 m (2006), Cueva Ojos de Cristal with a length of 16 km (2009) were discovered. Apparently, these caves are also of karst origin. In a hot tropical climate, under certain conditions, quartzite can be dissolved in water.

Another exotic example of the formation of karst caves is the very long and deepest cave in the US mainland, Lechugia Cave (and other caves in Carlsbad National Park). According to the modern hypothesis, it was formed by the dissolution of limestones by rising thermal waters saturated with sulfuric acid.

Tectonic caves

Such caves can arise in any rocks as a result of the formation of tectonic faults. As a rule, such caves are found in the sides of river valleys deeply cut into the plateau, when huge rock masses break off from the sides, forming sagging cracks ( sherlops). Seizure cracks usually converge with depth in a wedge. Most often they are covered with loose deposits from the surface of the massif, but sometimes they form rather deep vertical caves up to 100 m deep. Sherlops are widespread in Eastern Siberia. They are relatively poorly studied and probably occur quite often.

erosion caves

Caves formed in insoluble rocks due to mechanical erosion, that is, worked out by water containing grains of solid material. Often such caves are formed on the seashore under the action of the surf, but they are small. However, the formation of caves, worked out along the primary tectonic cracks by streams going underground, is also possible. Quite large (hundreds of meters long) erosional caves are known, formed in sandstones and even granites. Examples of large erosion caves can be T.S.O.D. (Touchy Sword of Damocles) Cave in gabbro (4 km/−51 m, New York), Bat Cave in gneisses (1.7 km, North Carolina), Upper Millerton Lake Cave in granites (California).

Glacial caves

Another type of glacial caves are caves formed in a glacier at the point where intraglacial and subglacial waters exit at the edge of glaciers. Meltwater in such caves can flow both along the glacier bed and over glacial ice.

A special type of glacial caves are caves formed in glaciers at the exit point of underground thermal waters located under the glacier. Hot water is capable of making voluminous galleries, however, such caves do not lie in the glacier itself, but under it, since the ice melts from below. Thermal ice caves are found in Iceland, Greenland and reach considerable sizes.

Volcanic caves

These caves are formed during volcanic eruptions. The lava flow, cooling down, is covered with a solid crust, forming a lava tube, inside of which molten rock is still flowing. After the eruption has already, in fact, ended, the lava flows out of the tube from the lower end, and a cavity remains inside the tube. It is clear that lava caves lie on the very surface, and often the roof collapses. However, as it turned out, lava caves can reach very large sizes, up to 65.6 km long and 1100 m deep (Kazumura cave, Hawaiian Islands).

In addition to lava tubes, there are vertical volcanic caves - volcanic vents.

Caves by type of host rocks

archaeological finds

Primitive people used caves all over the world as a dwelling. Even more often, animals settled in the caves. Many animals died in the cave-traps, starting from steep wells. The extremely slow evolution of caves, their constant climate, and protection from the outside world have preserved a huge number of archaeological finds to us. These are pollen of fossil plants, bones of long-extinct animals (cave bear, cave hyena, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros), rock paintings of ancient people (Kapova caves in the Southern Urals, Divya in the Northern Urals, Tuzuksu in the Kuznetsk Alatau, Niah Caves in Malaysia), tools of their labor (villages Strashnaya, Okladnikova, Kaminnaya in Altai), human remains of different cultures, including Neanderthals, up to 50-200 thousand years old (Teshik-Tash cave in Uzbekistan, Denisova cave in Altai, Cro-Magnon in France and many others).

The caves may have played the role of modern cinemas.

Water in the caves

Water, as a rule, is found in many caves, and karst caves owe their origin to it. In the caves you can find condensate films, drops, streams and rivers, lakes and waterfalls. Siphons in caves significantly complicate the passage, require special equipment and special training. Often there are underwater caves. In the entrance areas of the caves, water is often present in a frozen state, in the form of ice deposits, often very significant and perennial.

Air in the caves

In most caves, the air is bad for breathing due to natural circulation, although there are caves in which you can only be in gas masks. For example, guano deposits can poison the air. However, in the vast majority of natural caves, air exchange with the surface is quite intense. The reasons for the movement of air are most often the temperature difference in the cave and on the surface, so the direction and intensity of circulation depend on the season and weather conditions. In large cavities, the movement of air is so intense that it turns into wind. For this reason, air draft is one of the important features when looking for new caves.

cave deposits

Holy ascetics who lived in caves:

• “And Lot went out of Segor and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Segor. And he dwelt in a cave, and his two daughters with him” (Genesis 19:30)
• “And the Prophet Elijah went into the cave there and spent the night in it” (1 Kings 19.9)

cave houses

Many peoples made dwellings in caves, as they were easy to keep clean and maintain a constant temperature throughout the year.

• Sassi Di Matera

Healing caves

In many medical institutions there are rooms called "salt caves". The walls are lined with potash salt bricks, and patients spend some time in them, listening to music and getting a healing effect.

Entertaining caves

Horror caves are known as a part of amusement parks, cafes and bars, finished under a cave.

underground cavities

In addition to caves that have access to the surface and are accessible for direct study by humans, there are closed underground cavities in the earth's crust. The deepest underground cavity (2952 meters) was discovered by drilling on the coast of Cuba. In the Rhodope Mountains, an underground cavity was discovered at a depth of 2400 meters while drilling. On the Black Sea coast in Gagra, drilling discovered underground voids at a depth of up to 2300 meters.

Notes

1. Maruashvili, 1969; TSB; Schukin, 1980; Monkhouse, 1970.
2. Mineral aggregates of karst caves
3. “On the silicate bradykarst of the tropical zone”, Maksimovich G.A. // Hydrogeology and Karstology. Issue. 7. Perm, 1975: 5-14.
4. History of the Sylphuric Acid Theory of Speleogenesis in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, 2000.
5. OTHER CAVES , Compiled by: Bob Gulden.
6. Save Millerton Lake Cave
7. Images from the Millerton Lakes Cave System
8. Reynaud L., Moreau L. Moulins Glaciaires des Temperes et Froids de 1986 a 1994 (Mer de Glace et Groenland). Actes du 3e Symposium International Cavites Glaciaires et Cryokarst en Regions Polaires et de Haute Montagne, Chamonix-France, 1er-6.XI.1994. Annales Litteraires de l'universite de Besancon, N 561, serie Geographie, N 34, Besancon, 1995, p. 109-113.
9. Krubera Cave: Profile. Ukrainian Speleological Association (1999-2010) // speleogenesis.info. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
10. Worlds deepest caves, Compiled by: Bob Gulden
11. I. Kudryavtseva, D. Lury Geography / S.T. Ismailova. - Moscow: Avanta +, 1994. - T. 3. - S. 472. - 638 p. - ISBN 5-86529-015-0
12. Message to the caving mailing list CML#13657 , Yu.Kasyan, 09/10/2012.
13. Message to the caving mailing list CML#13648 , P. Rudko, 08/28/2012.
14. Message to the caving mailing list CML#10132 , A. Shelepin, 09/18/2007.
15. Worlds longest caves, Compiled by: Bob Gulden
16. Paleolithic of Altai
17. Prehistoric caves named as first cinema halls
18. Wind in the Caves, A.L. Shelepin, 1995, KSK Library